Apparatus for unloading ships&#39; cargoes.



No. 700,799. I Patented May 27, I902.

. A. MULLANK APPARATUS FOB UNLOADING SHIPS CABGOES.

(Application filed Nov. 190:1.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR MULLAN, OF-SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFO RNIA.

srncrricarroiv forming part of Letter Application filed November 21, 19

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR MULLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Unloading ShipsOargoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for unloading cargoes from vessels onto docks or wharves. It is especially adapted for unloading loose material, as coal.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which shall be portable and easily moved about, which can be secured in place for operation rapidly and easily and can also with equal facility be removed when the operation of unloading is completed, and one, moreover, which enables cargoes to be unloaded much more expeditiously than has heretofore been the case.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a ship from which the cargo is being unloaded, showing my apparatus in position-thereon. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side of 'the upper portion of the chute; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one side of the hatch-combing, showing the means of attaching the base of the chute-carrying frame thereto. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 representsthe deck of a vessel which is being unloaded,and 2 the cargo-hatch thereof, 3 representing the hatch-combing. Against one side of 'said hatch-combing is erected a frame 4:, comprising two long parallel beams 5, connected at their upper end by a cross-beam 6 and at their lower portion by a truss-frame 7. The lower ends of said. beams rest against the side of the hatch-combing and are secured thereto by means of clamps 8, which are U -shaped in form and are passed around the outer side of the ends of the beams 5, having hooked free ends 9, which engage the inner side of the firmly hold the beams 5 Wedges 10 and hatch-combing and to the top of the hatch-combing. are interposed between the clamps 8 s Patent No. 700,799, dated May 27, 1902. 01. Serial No. 23,197. (llomodeih beams 5. By means of said wedges the -inclination of the frame 4 m ay be varied slightly, as desired, boards 11 being interposed between the beams 5 and the combing 3, the number of said boards being variable for the purpose of such adjustment. Thus to cause the top of the frame to tilt inward toward the hatchthenumber of such boards will. be reduced and the wedges 10 driven lower down and a reverse change made to tilt it away from the hatch. The lower ends of the beams 5 are held to the bottom of said hatch-combing by means of a yoke 12, which abuts against the outer side of said lower ends and is tightly drawn thereagainst bymeans of the eyebolt 13, secured to the side of the hatchcombing, and the hook bolt 14,secured to said yoke, said hook-bolt engaging said eyebolt, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The frame 4: is additionally supported by means of guy-ropes 15,'secured to the upper end of the frame on each side thereof and being booked, as shown at 16, to tackles 17, secured to the bulwarks of the ship, as shown at 18. By means of said tackles the guy-ropes may be made very tight and the frame 4 very 'firmlyheld in place.

From the frame 4: a chute 19 is suspended by means of ropes 21, passing over blocks 22 at the top and sides thereof, and thence passing down to cleats 20 on a cross-bar of the frame, to which cleats said ropes are secured. To the front portion of the chute is attached tion is suspended from the frame by a rope 25 and blocks 26, said ropes 25 being secured to cleats 23 at the sides of the frame. As will be readily seen, the elevation of said chute and also the angle of inclination thereof can be readily adjusted by'properly manipulating these ropes. Beneath the upper end of thechute is secured a platform 27, permitting two operators to stand to take the material from the hoisting-tubs and discharge the same into the chute 19, said materialbeing thus loaded into wagons, cars, or other desired receptacles on the dock or into another vessel. Said platform is secured to said chute by means of a strap 32 passing beneath the platform secured thereto, as shown at 33, and to the chute at 34: in the middle of the strap and at 35 at the inwardly-bent ends a bail 24:, by meansof which said front porthereof. Said strap has also at its ends upwardly-bent extensions 36, to which the lower blocks 22 are pivotally connected. To. the under side of the chute at its rear end there is attached a rope 28, arranged to be secured to a cleat 29 on the frame, by means of which the rear side of the chute can be drawn forward through the frame so far as may be necessary to enable the operators to more conveniently handle the hoisting-buckets coming upward from the hold of the vessel through the hatch 2. The frame is made of sufficient ,width to permit the chute 19 to swing at a considerable angle to either side, so as to permit sufficient variation of the point of discharge of the cargo. After the operation of unloading has been completed the chute is moved into a position lying on the frame 4;. This is done byfirst lowering one side of the chute only, so as to bring it edgewise to the frame, permitting it to be passed wholly through the frame into the front thereof, so that when the frame is lowered the chute will lie thereon. The frame is then released from the hatch-combing and from the bulwarks of the vessel and is raised by means of suitable tackle from the hoisting-derrick and deposited upon the dock. In order to facilitate the movement of the frame, it is provided with wheels 30 on the ends of an axle 31, extending across the frame adjacent to the top of the truss-frame 7, so that it can be easily wheeled about from one place to another.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a frame, means for supporting the lower end of the frame, guy-ropes attached to the upper portion of the frame for maintaining said frame in an upright position, a chute, an operating-platform secured to the upper end of the chute, and means for supporting said chute from the upper end of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a frame, means for supporting the lower end of the frame, guy-ropes attached to the upper portion of the frame for maintaining said frame in an upright position, a chute, an operating-platform secured to theupper end of the chute,

the frame for maintaining said frame in an upright position, a chute, an operating-plat form secured to the upper end of the chute, means for supporting said chute from the upper end of the frame, and wheels attached to said frame, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a frame, means for removably supporting the frame in an upright position, a chute, means for suspending the chute from the upper end of the frame, and a platform secured beneath the upper end of the chute and projecting beyond the side of the chute to form a support for an operator, substantially as described. 4

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a frame comprising side pieces, a top piece, and a connection between the lower portions of said side pieces, a chute extending through the frame in the space between said top piece and connection, means for adjusting the position of said chute in said space, and a wheel-axle secured upon said frame at one end of said space, said axle having wheels freely revoluble on its ends, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

-ARTHUR MULLAN. Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, CECELIA POWNING. 

